Ha ha, that good, huh!? Bet you don’t want to hear all about how nice my cake is, or the pork sausages I had for breakfast, or the nice glass of wine I’m enjoying at the moment. No, of course you don’t. I won’t say a word. 😉

If you want to I can give you a simple Alpine recipe for cabbage soup, it is made with shredded cabbage, old crusty bread, PLENTY of Fontina, savory broth, salt, pepper, and cooked very very slowly – I used to make it for my Hungarian husband… but it may not fit Ms.S. diet regime… Ask her.
PS.: If you want it to be from the High Tyrol add caraway seeds.

First of all for a couple of weeks save your bread crust and pieces of bread and let them get very dry. (Grissini NO) (NO breadcrumbs either). Break the dry bread into mouth-size but largish pieces. The drier it is the better.
Depending on how much you want to make take either one half or a whole well washed cabbage head, remove the hard outer leaves and cut it in strips or in chucks. Bring some broth to a boil, homemade or by bouillon again based on the quantity of soups you want. Cook the cabbage in it until it is soft and floppy.
It will be fast!
Have your dry bread ready by the side. Cut up a large amount of Fontina into small cubes. Have a cup or so of grated parmesan ready also.
Lower the heat on the cabbage. Add the bread the cheeses, the caraway seeds, very little salt, lower the flame further to a minimum, cover tightly and let it simmer very gently for about 15-20 minutes. Attention here ! if the flame is too hot the cheese will not only melt (as it’s supposed to do) but will also curdle. Turn off the flame and let it sit for about a half hour – or less. When you uncover it you may add either some white very dry wine, or some creamy milk, top with freshly ground pepper and grated nutmeg, with additional sprinkling of grate parmesan. It makes a meal: the bread should have retained a little of its hardness, the cheese must be all melted. Have it with white wine or light red like Lambrusco. I do not know what contorno to add to it… maybe fruit.
It doe not look very elegant but it is delicious. To make it look better you can grill the top under a flame or a salamander (like for crème brulée). If the broth is too thin when the cabbage cooks add a teaspoon or tablespoon of flour. It must be thick, a mess of melted Fontina with bread and cabbage in it… the parmesan is to enhance the flavor.
Allora, buon appetito. Let me know!!!